A maid scurries through the halls of the manor, stumbling through the door of the lord's office.
"Lord! Your son has been born!" The woman spoke with urgency.
The Lord looked up from his papers. "Is Maria handling it well?" He put down his pen as he stood up from his chair.
"Yes, my Lord. Madam Maria is doing quite well and is waiting for you patiently to come name your son with her."
The lord followed the maid through the quiet halls of the manor before entering the chamber where Maria was resting.
Lying on the soft white bed where she had given birth multiple times before was Madam Maria, the wife of Lord Arthur of the Smallstar clan.
Maria held the baby tight enough to ensure it was safe within her arms but soft enough to make sure it was comfortable.
Lord Arthur sat upon the bed on which his wife lay, he brushed his fingers gently over his son's forehead. "Maria, what name were you thinking for him?"
Maria tiredly looked upward from her son, who slept in her arms. "I was thinking of the name Alexander. What do you think?" She smiled at the thought of the name.
"Alexander?" He thought briefly. "Hm, I like that name. I think Alexander should be his name."
A few months later…
In the months that had passed, Alexander Smallstar grew, eventually being able to crawl around.
He had three siblings whose names were Charlotte, William, and Julian. He was the youngest of the bunch, his sister Charlotte was seven, William was nine, and the oldest, Julian, was thirteen.
His siblings often took time and played with him, Charlotte thought her little baby brother was quite cute.
The Viridian Church was the heart of religion within the Kingdom of Jewels. Every noble within the kingdom would bring their children to be cleansed with holy water at the church within eight months of their birth.
Wrapped in a blanket within a basket in a horse-driven carriage lay Alexander, who was being brought to the church.
The carriage came to a slow stop in front of the beautifully extravagant Viridian Church.
The carriage door opened from the outside. "Lord, we've arrived at the church." Said the coachman, who helped Madam Maria exit the carriage.
Madam carried the basket that held the sleeping Alexander with her as she exited the carriage, Lord Arthur following close behind her.
"Driver, please wait close outside with the carriage. I don't expect the ceremony to take that long, but if it does and the guards give you any hassle for your parking situation, let them know Lord Arthur of Clan Smallstar's son is being cleansed inside."
The coachman nods his head. "Of course, sir. I will wait here for your return."
Walking through large marble pillars, Maria and Arthur entered the church.
They were quickly greeted by a newer nun of the church whose name was Elizabeth. "Lord and Lady of Clan Smallstar, you're here to have your son cleansed, am I correct?"
"Yes, our son Alexander is here to be cleansed, as he's just reached the age of seven months." Maria softly spoke to the nun.
Nun Elizabeth guided them to Pastor Charles, who was informed of their planned arrival a week prior.
"Welcome, Lord Arthur and Lady Maria, to the Viridian Church. You've both not been here in a few years, I almost didn't recognize you two." Said the pastor, who had already prepared the holy water.
Arthur smiled. "You don't have to speak in honorifics with us, you're a respectable man of the church. It's good to see you again, Charles."
Maria gently put the basket down on a table, picking up Alexander, who had just awoken from his lengthy nap. She handed off her baby to Pastor Charles carefully.
"In the name of the God of the Sun, Eenar, I cleanse you of sin and welcome you into his protection." Charles took baby Alexander and began to slowly dip him in a vat of holy water, which sparkled and glowed a faint yellow color.
As he touched the holy water, a faint symbol appeared at the top of the water briefly…
Pastor Charles hesitates for a second before fully dipping him into the water for a second before taking him out.
"His mana resonated with the water. Even if only briefly, that shows he has the potential to be a mage." Said the pastor. "It seems the Smallstar's always give birth to exceptional children…"
[To Be Continued]